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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · board · hand · drill · pit · key · bore · scale

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. board — to get on
  8. bore — to drill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — help
  12. board — a committee
  13. key — the most important part
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — for a lock
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — in music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — to tire
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com